Whipstock packer



Patented Nov. 12, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT-OFFICE WHIPSTOCK PACKER.

7 Leslie A. Layne, Houston, Tex.

Application December 3, 1934, Serial No. 755,756 13 Claims. (01. 255-4) The invention relates to a combination whipstock and packer wherein the whipstock will be set and supported by the packer in bit deflecting position. v t

In the use of whipstocks to deflect a bit in order to. continue the drilling of a well at an angle with respect to the bore which has previously been drilled, it is the usual practice to position a whipstock for the purpose of deflecting the bit. Positioning of the whipstock at the desired angle and elevation is sometimes difficult because of conditions encountered and it has been the practice in the past to set the whipstock either by anchoring it with suitable slips or gripping members, cementing it in position, or lowering it to the bottom of the well bore which is to be deflected. In many instances, however, these expedients for anchoring the whipstocks are unsatisfactory and the present invention has been devised with a view of providing a whipsto ck which can be anchored at any desired elevation, inclination, or orientation, and whereby the whipstock is securely anchored and a seal is formed so that there. will be no escape of the circulating fluid after the well has been deflected.

It is one of the objects of the invention to pro vide a combination whipstock and packer which can be set in such a manner that the packer will support the whipstock.

Another object of the invention is to provide a combination whipstock and packer which may be lowered into the well bore as a unitary assembly in such a manner that the packer may be expanded to anchor the whipstock and the setting tool thereafter released so that the whipstcck is properly anchored in position.

Another object of the invention is to provide a combination whipstock, packer and setting tool assembly which may be lowered into the well and the setting tool released from its connection so that the connection can be milled away to leave the whipstock in bit deflecting position.

Another object of the invention is to set a packer in a well by manipulation of a whipstock.

Other and further objects of the invention will be readily apparent when the following description is considered in connection with the'accompanying drawing wherein:

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view through a well casing in which the whipstock and packer assembly are being lowered and wherein the setting tool is shown in section.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the casing showing the whipstock and packer as having been set and the setting tool as having been released and being moved upwardly to leave the whipstock in the well.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing the hole where no casing is present if desired. For

purpose of illustration, however, it will be described in connection with a well which is provided with a casing 2. This casing may extend through any elevation of the well, and a section of it is illustrated in Fig. 1 at an elevation where i the whipstock is to be set. The parts are shown assembled in a manner ready to be lowered into the well and include the supporting pipe 3, the

packer 4, the whipstock 5, the setting tool connection 6, and the setting tool 1.

The pipe 3 may be of any desired length .and

will preferably extend downwardly in the well to the bottom of the well bore l0 which is the bore which is to be deflected by positioning of ,the whipstock. The pipe 3 may, however, be anchored in any desired manner in the well so long as it serves as a stop or support for the packer 4.

The packer '4 may be of any desired type but is preferably of a collapsible nature wherein a canvas I2 is positioned upon a mandrel by wrapping around the mandrel and is held in position by the restraining wire I 3. A packer head I4 is located above the canvas and has downwardly extending fingers I5 which serve to protect the upper end of the packer and to guide it into the stock 5 has a base l1 which is connected to the packer head I 4 and is slidable with respect to the pipe 3 and the canvas I2. With this construction when a considerable pressure is exerted downwardly on the whipstock 5 then the packer head M will slide downwardly with respect to the pipe 3 to collapse the canvas l2 and move it to the expanded position of Figs. 2 and 3.

The whipstock 5 may be of a conventional design wherein the body 20 is inclined upwardly with a tapering concave surface 2| thereon which is knownas a bit deflecting surface. Adjacent expanded position shown in Fig. 2. The whipthe top of this surface 2l a setting tool connection 23 may be fixed by welding material 24, or otherwise. This setting tool connection is preferably in the form of a ring 25 which may be incollapsing fingers 21 by means of the wedge ring 28 being moved upwardly inside the fingers 21 by the mandrel 26. Such a setting tool is shown in United States Letters Patent No. 1,870,779. This particular type of setting tool is releasable upon downward movement of the mandrel as it is unscrewed from the connection 35 in such a manner that the shoulder 3| may be used to displace the wedge ring 28 and permit the fingers 27 to collapse.

If the mandrel 26 is thereafter moved upwardly the fingers 21 will be moved inwardly to be confined by the wedge ring 28 because of the tapered surface 32 thereon. Such collapsed position is shown in Fig. 2 where the setting tool has been released and is being withdrawn from the well.

When the parts are assembled as seen in Fig. 1

they are lowered into the well bore to the desired .tool, as well as the packer head M, will move downwardly from the position shown in Fig. 1 to the position shown in Fig. 2.

In view of the fact that the pipe 3 is immovable the packer is collapsed and expanded solidly against the inside of the casing 2, or against the surface of the well bore. When the packer has once'been set, then the setting tool will be collapsed and withdrawn as seen in Fig. 2.

Fig. 3 shows a milling tool 50 as being carried by adrill stem 5! insuch a manner that it is lowered to engage the setting tool connection 6. Rotation of the tool 59 tends to mill away the setting tool connection 6 and leave the inclined bit deflecting surface 2| of the whipstock exposed. After the milling operation is completed the milling tool will be removed and the drill bit lowered into the well to continue the drilling operation. In some instances the milling tool 59 is used to mill an opening through the side of the casing as at 52, so that the drill bit need not perform this cutting action on the metal.

The invention contemplates broadly the combination of a whipstock and packer to support the .whipstock as well as the combination of the setting tool, whipstock and packer. The packer is of particular advantage in closingt'ne well bore so that during the subsequent drilling operation there can be no flow of fiuid past the whipstock unless it is so desired.

What is claimed is:

1. The combination with a whipstock for wells of a packer on the lower end of the whipstock, and a setting tocl connection at the top of the whipstock.

2. A whipstock for wells including a packer adapted to be expanded to anchor the whipstock.

3. A whipstock for wells including a body, a bit deflecting surface thereon, a ring fixed adjacent the top of said surface and adapted to receive a setting tool, and a packer below the whipstock whereby the whipstock may be anchored.

4. An apparatus of the character described including a pipe, a packer thereon, means slidable with respect to the pipe to expand the packer,

and a whipstock connected to said means so that the whipstock will be anchored by the expanding of the packer.

5. An apparatus of the character described including a pipe, a packer thereon, means slidable 5 whipstock. 10 v 6. A whipstock of the character described adapted to be set in a well casing and including a packer, a packer supporting pipe, a bit deflecting whipstock slidably mounted on said pipe above the packer, a setting tool connection on the whip- 15 stock and a setting tool connected thereto whereby pressure applied by the setting tool will expand the packer to anchor the whipstock.

7. A whipstock of the character described adapted to be set in a well casing and including 20 a packer, a packer supporting pipe, a bit deflecting whipstock slidably mounted on said pipe above thepacker, a setting tool connection on the whipstock and a setting tool connected thereto whereby pressure applied by the setting tool will ex- 5 pand the packer to anchor the whipstock, said setting tool being releasable.

8. A whipstock of the character described adapted to be set in a well casing and including a packer, a packer supporting pipe, a bit deflecting 30 whipstock slidably mounted on said pipe above the packer, a setting. tool connection on the whipstock and a setting tool connected thereto whereby prersure applied by the setting tool will expand the packer to anchor the whipstock, said set- 35 ting tool being releasable, and said setting tool connection being so constructed as to be milled away.

9. In the art of setting a whipstock in a well the steps of lowering a setting tool, whipstock and 40 packer assembly into the well to the elevation where deflection is desired, expanding the packer to anchor the whipstock by manipulation of the setting tool, rel-easing the setting tool, and milling away the setting tool connection so that the 45 whipstock is ready for use. I

10. In the art of setting whipstocks the steps of positioning a combination whipstock and packer in the well and expanding the packer by ap plying pressure to the whipstock to anchor the 50 whipstock in bit deflecting position.

11. In the art of setting whipstocks the steps of assembling a packer, whipstock and setting tool and lowering them into the well bore, applying pressure by the setting tool to the whipstock 55 and packer to expand the packer and anchor the whipstock, releasing the setting tool, and milling the setting tool connection from the whipstock.

12. A whipstock including a body, a bit de fleeting surface thereon, a setting tool connection 60 welded adjacent the top of the surface and adapted to be milled away after'the whipstock is set, and a packer carried by said body and adapted to be set to anchor the whipstock.

13. A whipstock including a body, a bit defleeting surface thereon, a setting tool connection welded adjacent the top of the surface and adapted tobe milled away after. the whipstock is set, and a packer carried by said body and adapted to be set to anchor the whipstock, and whereby a seal is formed in the well below the whipstock.-

LESLIE A. :LAYNE. 

